Recent advances in the elucidation of the neurophysiological roles of metabotropic glutamate receptors have established these receptors as promising drug targets in the therapy of acute and chronic neurological and psychiatric disorders and diseases. However, the major challenge to the realization of this promise has been the development of metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype-selective compounds.
Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). Glutamate produces its effects on central neurons by binding to and thereby activating cell surface receptors. These receptors have been divided into two major classes, the ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors, based on the structural features of the receptor proteins, the means by which the receptors transduce signals into the cell, and pharmacological profiles.
The metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are G protein-coupled receptors that activate a variety of intracellular second messenger systems following the binding of glutamate. Activation of mGluRs in intact mammalian neurons elicits one or more of the following responses: activation of phospholipase C; increases in phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis; intracellular calcium release; activation of phospholipase D; activation or inhibition of adenyl cyclase; increases or decreases in the formation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP); activation of guanylyl cyclase; increases in the formation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP); activation of phospholipase A2; increases in arachidonic acid release; and increases or decreases in the activity of voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels. Schoepp et al., Trends Pharmacol. Sci. 14:13 (1993); Schoepp, Neurochem. Int. 24:439 (1994); Pin et al., Neuropharmacology 34:1 (1995).
Eight distinct mGluR subtypes, termed mGluR1 through mGluR8, have been identified by molecular cloning. See, for example, Nakanishi, Neuron 13:1031 (1994); Pin et al., Neuropharmacology 34:1 (1995); Knopfel et al., J. Med. Chem. 38:1417 (1995). Further receptor diversity occurs via expression of alternatively spliced forms of certain mGluR subtypes. Pin et al., PNAS 89:10331 (1992); Minakami et al., BBRC 199:1136 (1994); Joly et al., J. Neurosci. 15:3970 (1995).
Metabotropic glutamate receptor subtypes may be subdivided into three groups, Group I, Group II, and Group III mGluRs, based on amino acid sequence homology, the second messenger systems utilized by the receptors, and by their pharmacological characteristics. Nakanishi, Neuron 13:1031 (1994); Pin et al., Neuropharmacology 34:1 (1.995) Knopfel et al., J. Med. Chem. 38:1417 (1995).
Group I mGluRs comprise mGluR1, mGluR5, and their alternatively spliced variants. The binding of agonists to these receptors results in the activation of phospholipase C and the subsequent mobilization of intracellular calcium. Electrophysiological measurements have been used to demonstrate these effects, for example, in Xenopus oocytes that express recombinant mGluR1 receptors. See, for example, Masu et al., Nature 349:760 (1991); Pin et al., PNAS 89:10331 (1992). Similar results have been achieved with oocytes expressing recombinant mGluR5 receptors. Abe et al., J. Biol. Chem. 267:13361 (1992); Minakami et al., BBRC 199:1136 (1994); Joly et al., J. Neurosci. 15:3970 (1995). Alternatively, agonist activation of recombinant mGluR1 receptors expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells stimulates PI hydrolysis, cAMP formation, and arachidonic acid release as measured by standard biochemical assays. Aramori et al., Neuron 8:757 (1992).
By comparison, the activation of mGluR5 receptors, expressed in CHO cells, stimulates PI hydrolysis and subsequent intracellular calcium transients, but no stimulation of cAMP formation or arachidonic acid release is observed. Abe et al., J. Biol. Chem. 267:13361 (1992). However, activation of mGluR5 receptors expressed in LLC-PK1 cells results in PI hydrolysis and increased cAMP formation. Joly et al., J. Neurosci. 15:3970 (1995). The agonist potency profile for Group I mGluRs is quisqualate>glutamate=ibotenate>(2S,1′S,2′S)-2-carboxycyclopropyl)glycine (L-CCG-I)>(1S,3R)-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (ACPD). Quisqualate is relatively selective for Group I receptors, as compared to Group II and Group III mGluRs, but it also is a potent activator of ionotropic AMPA receptors. Pin et al., Neuropharmacology 34: 1, Knopfel et al., J. Med. Chem. 38:14.17 (1995).
The lack of subtype-specific mGluR agonists and antagonists has impeded elucidation of the physiological roles of particular mGluRs, and the mGluR-associated pathophysiological processes that affect the CNS have yet to be defined. However, work with the available non-specific agonists and antagonists has yielded some general insights about the Group I mGluRs as compared to the Group II and Group III mGluRs.
Attempts at elucidating the physiological roles of Group I mGluRs suggest that activation of these receptors elicits neuronal excitation. Various studies have demonstrated that ACPD can produce postsynaptic excitation upon application to neurons in the hippocampus, cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and thalamus, as well as other brain regions. Evidence indicates that this excitation is due to direct activation of postsynaptic mGluRs, but it also has been suggested that activation of presynaptic mGluRs occurs, resulting in increased neurotransmitter release. Baskys, Trends Pharmacol. Sci. 15:92 (1992); Schoepp, Neurochem. Int. 24:439 (1994); Pin et al., Neuropharmacology 34:1 (1995).
Pharmacological experiments implicate Group I mGluRs as the mediators of this excitatory mechanism. The effects of ACPD can be reproduced by low concentrations of quisqualate in the presence of ionotrophicGluR antagonists. Hu et al., Brain Res. 568:339 (1991); Greene et al., Eur. J. Pharmacol. 226:279 (1992). Two phenylglycine compounds known to activate mGluR1, namely (S)-3-hydroxyphenylglycine ((S)-3HPG) and (S)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine ((S)-DHPG), also produce excitation. Watkins et al., Trends Pharmacol. Sci. 15:33 (1994). In addition, the excitation can be blocked by (S)-4-carboxyphenylglycine ((S)-4CPG), (S)-4-carboxy-3-hydroxyphenylglycine ((S)-4C3HPG), and (+)-alpha-methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine ((+)-MCPG), compounds known to be mGluR1 antagonists. Eaton et al., Eur. J. Pharmacol. 244:195 (1993); Watkins et al., Trends Pharmacol. Sci. 15:333 (1994).
Metabotropic glutamate receptors have been implicated in a number of normal processes in the mammalian CNS, Activation of mGluRs has been shown to be required for induction of hippocampal long-term potentiation and cerebellar long-term depression. Bashir et al., Nature 363:347 (1993); Bortolotto et al., Nature 368:740 (1994); Aiba et al., Cell 79:365 (1994); Aiba et al., Cell 79:377 (1994). A role for mGluR activation in nociception and analgesia also has been demonstrated. Meller et al., Neuroreport 4:879 (1993). In addition, mGluR activation has been suggested to play a modulatory role in a variety of other normal processes including synaptic transmission, neuronal development, apoptotic neuronal death, synaptic plasticity, spatial learning, olfactory memory, central control of cardiac activity, waking, motor control, and control of the vestibulo-ocular reflex. Generally, see Nakanishi, Neuron 13: 1031 (1994); Pin et al., Neuropharmacology 34:1; Knopfel et al., J. Med. Chem. 38:1417 (1995).
Metabotropic glutamate receptors also have been suggested to play roles in a variety of pathophysiological processes and disease states affecting the CNS. These include stroke, head trauma, anoxic and ischemic injuries, hypoglycemia, epilepsy, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Schoepp et al., Trends Pharmacol. Sci. 14:13 (1993); Cunningham et al., Life Sci. 54:135 (1994); Hollman et al., Ann. Rev. Neurosci. 17:31 (1994); Pin et al., Neuropharmacology 34:1 (1995); Knopfel et al., J. Med. Chem. 38:1417 (1995). Much of the pathology in these conditions is thought to be due to excessive glutamate-induced excitation of CNS neurons. Because Group I mGluRs appear to increase glutamate-mediated neuronal excitation via postsynaptic mechanisms and enhanced presynaptic glutamate release, their activation probably contributes to the pathology. Accordingly, selective antagonists of Group I mGluR receptors could be therapeutically beneficial, specifically as neuroprotective agents, analgesics, or anticonvulsants.
Preliminary studies assessing therapeutic potentials with the available mGluR agonists and antagonists have yielded seemingly contradictory results. For example, it has been reported that application of ACPD onto hippocampal neurons leads to seizures and neuronal damage (Sacaan et al., Neurosci. Lett. 139:77 (1992); Lipparti et al., Life Sci. 52:85 (1993). Other studies indicate, however, that ACPD inhibits epileptiform activity, and also can exhibit neuroprotective properties. Taschenberger et al., Neuroreport 3:629 (1992); Sheardown, Neuroreport 3:916 (1992); Koh et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:9431 (1991); Chiamulera et al., Eur. J. Pharmacol. 216:335 (1992); Siliprandi et al., Eur. J. Pharmacol. 219:173 (1992); Pizzi et al., J. Neurochem. 61:683 (1993).
It is likely that these conflicting results are due to the lack of selectivity of ACPD, which causes activation of several different mGluR subtypes. In the studies finding neuronal damage it appears that Group I mGluRs were activated, thereby enhancing undesirable excitatory neurotransmission. In the studies showing neuroprotective effects it appears that activation of Group III and/or Group III mGluRs occurred, inhibiting presynaptic glutamate release, and diminishing excitatory neurotransmission.
This interpretation is consistent with the observation that (S)-4C3HPG, a Group I mGluR antagonist and Group II mGluR agonist, protects against audiogenic seizures in DBA/2 mice, while the Group II mGluR selective agonists DCG-IV and L-CCG-I protect neurons from NMDA- and KA-induced toxicity. Thomsen et al., J. Neurochem. 62:2492 (1994); Bruno et al., Eur. J. Pharmacol. 256:109 (1994); Pizzi et al., J. Neurochem. 61:683 (1993).
Based on the foregoing, it is clear that a lack of potency and selectivity limits the value of the mGluR agonists and antagonists now available. In addition, most-currently available compounds are amino acids or amino-acid derivatives which have limited bioavailabilities, thereby hampering in vivo studies to assess mGluR physiology, pharmacology, and therapeutic potential. On the other hand, compounds that selectively inhibit activation of metabotropic glutamate receptor Group I subtypes are indicated for treatment of neurological disorders and diseases such as senile dementia, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's Chorea, pain, epilepsy, head trauma, anoxic and ischemic injuries, and psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, schizophrenia and depression.
Accordingly, a need exists for potent mGluR agonists and antagonists that display a high selectivity for a mGluR subtype, particularly a Group I receptor subtype.